RetroIndy: Indiana Black Expo

May 7, 2013 12:06 PM

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Beverly Thompson who reigned over the first Indiana Black Expo in 1971 accepted a gleaming trophy and a dozen roses from James C. Cummings Jr. (left) after defeating 22 other candidates in the Miss Black Indiana contest on June 13. / Joe Young

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First Black Expo in '71 a celebration of pride

Black achievement. Black awareness. Black power. Those were but three elements of the first cultural, educational and entertainment exposition highlighting the contributions of black Hoosiers.

Indiana Black Expo debuted June 19, 1971, and more than 5,000 people passed through the two-day event that reflected the pride sweeping black America.

The Revs. Ralph D. Abernathy and Jesse Jackson, the Boston Celtics' Bill Russell and John Mackey of the Baltimore Colts were among the notables who visited the Indiana State fairgrounds for Black Expo.

The event, conceived by the Operation Breadbasket arm of the Indiana Christian Leadership Conference and co-sponsored by at least 10 black organizations, also provided a stage for everyday people.

Among the more than 75 booths in the fairgrounds' Exhibition Hall was "Dignity Unlimited," a three-dimensional jail stockade backdropped by an oil painting of a black man and a boy in chains.

Afro hairstyles, described by one exhibitor as "the personification of blacks' new awareness," and dashikis were common among fashion-conscious spectators, who helped the event gross nearly $70,000.

More than 30 American and National basketball association stars played in a Martin Luther King Jr. game in the Coliseum, where the Phoenix Suns' Connie Hawkins was named most valuable player.

Soul music also was on the menu. A Coliseum concert featured The Dells performing Oh What a Nite and Donny Hathaway singing about The Ghetto.

Founded in 1970, IBE grew from an annual summer event to a major community organization with year-round activities

The inaugural Indiana Black Expo was an exposition showcasing black achievements in culture, art, history and economics.

By its' 30th anniversary in 2000, Black Expo had 12 chapters throughout the state and hosted not only a Summer Celebration but events like the Circle City Classic football game in October.

The Rev. Andrew J. Brown Jr., Willard B. Ransom and James C. Cummings founded Indiana Black Expo, patterning it after an Operation PUSH event in Chicago. Cummings and Ransom borrowed $20,000 to finance the event. They wanted the organization to exist as a statewide support system for blacks that would bring positive change and a greater appreciation of their identity within the community.

More than 50,000 people attended the inaugural 2-day event in June 1971, which featured 75 exhibitor booths, a concert and an ABA vs NBA basketball game.

The success of the event depended on getting sponsors and exhibitors. White business leaders initially resisted invitations to participate, but changed their minds when Eugene S. Pulliam, publisher of The Star and The News, offered his support.

The $20,000 loan was repaid in 1972 and Black Expo became a statewide event represented by five regional chapters involving 17 cities. By 1973, when similar events throughout the country were folding or scaling back, Indiana Black Expo's attendance had reached more than 100,000.

Cummings was named the first president of IBE in 1973.

In 1983, thanks to a grant from the Lilly Endowment to fund a full-time staff, Charles Williams resigned as a special assistant to Mayor William Hudnut to become the first paid president of the organization.

Black Expo has survived scandal, internal conflict, financial and sponsorship woes and an attendance drop when dates were briefly moved to the Fourth of July weekend.

By the late 1970s, Black Expo was on the ropes financially with a debt that had grown to over $100,000. Upon learning of the organization's debt, Sammy Davis Jr. donated $10,000.

In 1988, an Indianapolis Star investigation discovered loose management, a neglectful, uninformed board, a nearly total absence of rules, minutes and financial accountability. Lilly Endowment stepped in again with a grant of $150,000, on the condition that a consultant be hired to draw up a five-year financial plan. A new board was elected and streamlined with 20 fewer members.

By the time Black Expo celebrated its' 20th anniversary in 1990, it was out of debt and the Summer Celebration was expanded to a full week. That year, the first Founder's Award was given to singer, songwriter and producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. Winners of the Expo's annual Freedom Award have included boxing promoter Don King, entertainer Stevie Wonder and L. Douglas Wilder, former governor of Virginia.

The event has grown to include health and job fairs, music festivals, business conferences, children's programs and a National Youth Summit. By the late 1990s there were more than 800 Expo booths.

The Coca-Cola Circle City Classic began in 1984 and features a football game between two black colleges. It has become a premiere social event and fund-raiser. With proceeds from the Summer Celebration and the Classic, IBE awards thousands of dollars in scholarships each year. It also gives grants to small organizations to fund existing, or new, projects.

In 1991, the expo was held in conjunction with Operation PUSH's national convention, marking its 20th anniversary. The first membership drive was well underway by 1993, and the first full-time headquarters on North Meridian had been purchased.

In the 1990s, Black Expo's image was tarnished by events largely out of its control. Boxer Mike Tyson, attending at the invitation of Charles Williams, was accused of the rape of Desiree Washington, a participant in the Miss Black American Pageant. He was convicted and spent 3 years in prison.

The second event was the shooting death of an 18-year-old during the 1993 SoulFest - an event at Washington Park dating to 1974 and plagued by crime, security and traffic problems. SoulFest was suspended for 1994 but resumed in 1995 with a heavy police presence.

At the 1998 SoulFest, there was again a fatal shooting, this time a 24-year-old man, and the event was cancelled for 1999. In 2000, the event had was renamed the Family Fun Fest and moved to a different location.

Following the July 2002 Summer Celebration, there were widespread complaints about what was thought to be racist behavior by the Indianapolis Police Department.

A standing-room-only community meeting was held to discuss those complaints, with Mayor Bart Peterson, Rep. Julia Carson and several top police department officials in attendance. Peterson accepted responsibility, citing poor planning as one reason for the problems. He apologized and promised to rebuild the black community's trust. Shortly thereafter, Peterson appointed a task force consisting of elected officials, cultural leaders and representatives from the Police Department to examine and plan future Downtown festivities.

In 2005, the highlight of Black Expo's 35th anniversary celebration was a visit from President George Bush who addressed the corporate luncheon and was presented with a Lifetime Achievement award.

40 years later, the challenge has changed

Originally published in The Indianapolis Star on July 5, 2010

When Indiana Black Expo debuted, the Civil Rights Act outlawing housing discrimination was just 3 years old and some mainstream newspapers, including The Indianapolis Star, still used the term "Negro."

On June 19, 1971, the night after the first day of the first Expo, an organization called the Southern Club of Indianapolis held a dinner dance at a Downtown hotel ballroom decorated with Confederate flags.

Simply by opting to use the term "black," Expo's founders were making a statement. "A lot of people still called us 'colored,' " said James C. Cummings, Expo's first chairman. "We named it 'Black' Expo. We were moving toward that term. It was progressive."

Expo events will offer a variety of business advice, including instruction on international business as well as tips on "new business opportunities in Indianapolis."

There will be career development workshops, an employment fair and a seminar on entrepreneurialism, as well as one on personal finance.

Expo also emphasizes education and health issues, but its largest crowds are drawn to its concerts.

Economic advancement was part of Expo's mission even back in 1971, with a booth devoted to diversity among suppliers. The Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce was among Expo's early sponsors.

But back then, cultural awareness seemed more pressing, said Joyce Rogers, who attended the first Expo while in high school. "It was eye-opening," she said. "Before then, you didn't see black art -- paintings and figurines."And then there it was."

Indiana Black Expo is believed to be the only major black-centric confab surviving from the 1970s, and it has remained relevant by deftly broadening its once mostly cultural mission into one heavy on economic development.

Today, Black Expo is about economic opportunity. By the time Rogers became Expo's chief operating officer in 2001, economic development had become a major Expo objective.

In 2002, Indiana had 14,000 black-owned companies, with sales of $1.7 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's most recent data.

That's nearly twice as many businesses as just a decade earlier, and more than twice as much business.

Daisy Lloyd, the widow of African-American business leader Frank Lloyd, a former owner of WTLC-FM radio, said Expo continues to be important for both the city and the state. "I think the Expo has been successful in and of itself because it has grown. It does put people in touch with industries that have job opportunities and gives the platform for discussion about problems within the black community."

INDIANA BLACK EXPO: FOUR DECADES OF FIRSTS

1970: William B. Ransom and James C. Cummings borrowed $20,000 and, along with the Rev. Andrew J. Brown, founded Indiana Black Expo, patterning it after an Operation PUSH event in Chicago.1971: The inaugural Black Expo event was held at the State Fairgrounds on June 19 and 20 as part of Indianapolis' Sesquicentennial Celebration, with more than 50,000 people attending. The purpose of the event was to "showcase the achievements of African-Americans in the areas of culture, art, history and economics."1972: Expo moved to the new Indiana Convention Center. Indiana Black Expo became a statewide event represented by five regional chapters involving 17 cities.1973: Expo attendance exceeded 100,000.1974: The first Soul Picnic was held.1979: Black Expo expanded from two days to four.1985: The first Black Expo Health Fair was held.1987: Muhammad Ali received Black Expo's Freedom Award.1988: Expo attendance exceeded 200,000.1989: The first Black Expo Employment Opportunity Fair was held. The Miss Black America pageant was held in Indianapolis in conjunction with Expo. Attendance exceeded 400,000.1990: A 20th anniversary "Platinum Celebration" was held. It was the first to involve a weeklong schedule of events. Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds received the first Founders Award. SoulFest replaced the Soul Picnic. Attendance exceeded 500,000.1993: The first annual Indiana Black Expo Business Networking Forum was held. To celebrate and emphasize families, Expo was billed as the National African-American Family Summit for the first time.1996: Black Expo returned to its roots with a theme emphasizing black business: "Black Enterprise . . . Gateway to the Future." A one-day attendance record was broken when 105,897 people attended Saturday events.1998: The first minority business seminar by the U.S. Small Business Administration was held.2000: For the 30th anniversary, SoulFest was renamed the Family Fun Fest and featured the Black Invitational Championship Rodeo. UniverSoul Circus was a featured event for the first time.2001: The first annual Celebration of Praise worship service was held.2003: Black Expo's "Race Against Prostate Cancer" was launched after the Rev. Charles Williams, Expo's longtime president, learned he had advanced prostate cancer.2004: The Summer Celebration became a tribute to Williams, who died of cancer just as the event was getting under way.2005: President George W. Bush addressed the corporate luncheon and was presented with a Lifetime Achievement award.2007: Summer Celebration's economic impact was estimated at $72 million in direct spending.Compiled from news reports